Concord Fall Leaf Collection

The City of Concord has made changes this year to its Fall Leaf Collection program. As an additional service to supplement the regular bulk leaf collection, the City has added three weeks of bagged collection to provide more opportunity for residents to participate in collection. Watch our video overview above and read full program details below, including specific information and collection dates for this year's program.

Bulk Fall Leaf Collection

October 29, 2018 - December 7, 2018

Bulk collection has not changed. Our Highway and Utilities Division will be using leaf vacuums to collect leaves that are raked loosely to the curb (unbagged). Bulk collection will start on October 29th and continue as weather permits through December 7th. There will be three crews that start at different areas of the city to collect leaves. One crew will start at the Bow town line on South Street and work north, a second crew will start at Blossom Hill Cemetery and work north up North State Street into Penacook, and a third crew will start on Mountain Road at Country Club Lane and work south on the east side of the Merrimack River. Crews only have time to collect leaves once from each street before the onset of winter weather, focusing on residential roads with drainage areas to keep the City's storm water system clear.

Residents should have leaves ready to the curb by the start of the program to not miss collection. Crews will not return to a location already collected. Our Fall Leaf Collection Map is now actively displaying areas that crews have finished collecting. Please note that the map is not available in real time and only displays roads completed from the previous day, but can be used to provide a general idea of the vicinity of crews (although the course of direction is subject to change). Zoom in on the map to the color-coded crew routes to view the dates of completed collection. There is no set timeline for when crews will reach certain areas. Unpredictable leaf volumes and weather conditions make it not possible to know when areas will receive collection, so be ready!

Veteran's Day Collection

The only area that has a predetermined scheduled collection is the area around Concord High School in coordination with the Veteran's Day holiday school closure. This area is scheduled for leaf collection on Veteran's Day each year to minimize public disturbance and in consideration of public safety. The public is advised to please avoid parking next to leaf piles in this area on this day to not block our equipment from safely collecting leaves. As shown on the map below, streets outlined in red will receive bulk leaf collection on Monday, November 12, 2018. Crews will resume collection in their previously designated areas after the holiday.

Bagged Fall Leaf Collection

November 19, 2018 - December 7, 2018

New this year! The City of Concord has added three weeks of bagged collection to run simultaneously with the last weeks of bulk collection (detailed above). Bagged collection will start on November 19th and continue through December 7th. A bagged collection was added to our leaf collection program to allow more predictability and opportunity for residents to participate.

The City of Concord's contractor for trash and recycling, Casella Waste Systems, will be collecting leaves in biodegradable yard waste bags or labeled rigid containers. Due to variable leaf volumes at the curb, leaf collection may occur on a different day than trash collection. Leaves must be placed curbside by 7:00 a.m. each Monday during bagged collection. This will allow Casella to have a separate leaf collection from trash collection, minimizing delays in trash routes and maximizing overall efficiency.

Residents are encouraged to bag their leaves to guarantee collection. Bagged collection will also provide an opportunity for residents to bag any leaves that our Highway and Utilities Division were not able to collect through bulk collection. Our Highway and Utilities Division will not be returning to any areas they have already collected, but residents can still get rid of any remaining leaves with the bagged collection. Also, bagged collection will not end early in the event of winter weather. If the winter weather happens to set in early, bulk collection will be suspended for crews to shift priority to winter operations, but bagged collection will still continue through December 7th to allow residents the opportunity to dispose of their leaves.

This three week bag program is the perfect way to ensure all leaves have been collected before Concord Fall Leaf Collection comes to an end. As always, there will be no trash or leaf collection on Thanksgiving Day (November 22, 2018).

Drop-Off Leaves

Residents have the option to also bring their leaves to a local farm or to Gelinas Excavation & Earth Recycling Center. Disposal is free at Gelinas Excavation & Earth Recycling Center if the load is smaller than a non-commercial pick-up truck. Brush, branches, and limbs can be dropped off separately for a nominal fee. Proof of residency is required. Loads must be 100% free of any unacceptable materials. Residents will be required to empty contents of bags or containers when disposing of leaves (bags or containers must be taken back with you). Visit www.concordnh.gov/earthmaterialsrecycling for more information.

Additional Information

Only leaves will be collected. Branches, rocks, brush, and miscellaneous items will not be collected. Leaves collected are taken to several locations for composting. Subscribe to the General Services calendar or Notify Me to receive notifications of future Fall Leaf Collection dates and other important events.

Provide Your Feedback

We heard you. We realize our bulk leaf collection faces some challenges, including: collecting leaves too early from an area before all the leaves have fallen, suspending collection before reaching all residents due to the onset of winter weather, and the uncertainty of when collection will occur due to unpredictable leaf volumes and weather conditions. However, we also have heard from many residents that the bulk collection is a very convenient and appreciated program. Adding a bagged collection to our existing bulk collection adds an additional service to address these challenges, while providing more predictability and opportunity for residents to participate. We hope Concord residents will appreciate the City of Concord’s new and improved Concord Fall Leaf Collection.

Fall Leaf Collection Feedback Form

We invite you to share your thoughts with us on this program change. Please fill out our short form to provide us with your feedback on this year's Concord Fall Leaf Collection. Your submission will be anonymous and will provide information to help us improve our program to better serve the community. We thank you for your feedback.